Clutch device



Nov. 25, 1941. RMN, sn-,rRT v 2,263,709

, CLUTCH DEVICE med neo. 11; 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEY PAL/L M4N SITTEPT' 1 Patented Nev. 25,1941.

uNrrl-:os'rATas PATENT ori-ice l f v2.263,'109 'i l Paul Van Sittert, Cleveland l'eights, 01110,' lassignor to The Clevelandrneumatie Tool Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio' -Appueeuen neeember 11, 193e, sedative. 308,545'

e claims. (ci. 19a-5s) This invention relates broadly to improvements in clutches generally, but more particularlyto a clutch mechanism adapted for use in portable power driven tools, such as used for setting screws, nuts,'bolts or the like..

lHeretofore such portabletools were equipped '.with a'. clutch mechanism including driving and driven members'axially movable into or outof operative engagement. These members were equipped with cooperating rotation transmitting jaws, which were shaped and disposed in a manner calculated to eect automatic release oi the clutch upon a predetermined resistance to rotation of the driven member.' The axial movement of the driving or driven members resulting from the engagement or released motion of their appurtenant clutclrjaws resulted in the transmission of reciprocatory motion to the entire portable tool, which 'motion together with the sudshown lin operative engagement' with the work and the clutch in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the clutch in a released position.

Fig, 4 is a cross sectional view -t'aken in a plane l indicated by line 4 4 in `I"ig. 2.

Fig. isa cross sectional view taken in a plane l indicated by line 5-5 in F18. 2. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken in a plane indicated by line 6-8 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in which like symbols ydesignate `corresponding parts throughout the several views. Ilv designates the cylinder oi a` iluid actuated rotary tool to which is vattached a handle II having a'throttle valve (not shown) accommodated therein and operable by a trigger I2, the motive fluid being admitted to the throttle valve through an adequate connection il. Se-

den torque to which the tool ris subjected upon gg reengagement of its clutch members, was found to be very uncomfortable to the hand of the operator and making it diilicult for him to hold the tool implement, carried by the tool, in operative engagement with the work. 1

It is therefore 'one object of this invention to produce a clutch mechanism wherein engagement or released motion of the clutch members does not transmit reciprocatory motion to the portable tool with which the mechanism is operatively associated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portabler tool of the type above mentioned with an improved clutch mechanism automatically maintained in released condition as long as the tool implement carried by the tool is not operatively engaging the work. i m Another object of this invention is to produce an improved clutch mechanism of relatively slmple construction, forming a compact assembly which is strong, durable and efficient. y

cured to the housing II! by bolts Il, there is a iront housing II within which is generally mounted a' train of gears (not shown) for transmitting rotation to a spindle IB iournaled within one or more ball bearings I1, one o! which is shown in Fig. 1 housedwithin the front housing I5, which housing has rigidly secured thereto by a screw threaded connection I8 a sleeve-like extension or front handle I9.

Referring now more particularly to the invention,` the rotary spindle I6 extends through the bearing I1 where it is terminated by a threaded shank 2li-on which is screwed the internally Other objects and advantages more orless anv cillary to the foregoing reside in the specific Fig. 1 isy a side elevational Aview partly inA sectionof a portable tool embodying the invention.,- In this view the tool implement is shownout of Ategral part or the spindle.

threaded head 2| of an extension 22, which extension is therefore made to rotate with the spindle I6 and could, if desired, be made an in The extension 22 ends within the rear end portion o! a socket member 23 adapted to receive the shank 24 of a tool implement represented in the drawing by a sci-ew driver 25, which shank is mounted within the socket 23 against rotation relative thereto and is held in position by a detent or ball 28 radially carried by the socket andadapted to nt annular recess 21 formed in the shank 2l. The

A 'ball 2B is held in operative position by the usual retaining sleeve 2l slidable on the socket 22 and maintained in operative engagement with the ball V28 by a compression spring 2 9, which spring may be compressed upon movement of the sleeve 2l toward the housing I8 for enabling the ball v2l engagement with the work and the clutch in re leased position.

Fig.

portion of the tool shown ,in section in Fig. 1, the tool implement being 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional' view of the iront end lto drop within an annular groove Il provided in the sleeve, thereby'enabling vthe removal of the tool implement from the socket member 22. The extension 22, which is formed of diilerential diameters, includes intermediate its -ends three anu, the latter being formed at the innemen` er the need 2| wane nular shoulders -I I 221and 4in an.

spending portion 42 of the extension 22.

member or sleeve 35 extending therefrom to the socket member 23 where it is secured thereto by a screw threaded connection 36. The outer end of the sleeve 35, or more specifically the end vthereof adjacent the socket member 23 is formed with an external annular flange 31 engageablewith the inturned end wall 38 of the front handie I9 for limiting slidable movement in one direction of the socket member 23 and consequently of the sleeve 35 on the extension 22. In

the inner end portion of the sleeve 35, there is y provided a plurality of equally spaced bores`39 extending radially therethrough, each bore having a ball or detent 40 slidable therein, the `di- 2,263,709 collar 34, on Whichlcollar is loosely fitted a driven sleeve 35 and consequently to the socket 23 and ameter of the detents being materially greater I than the thickness of the sleeve to enable projection of the detents inside and outside of the sleeve as clearly shown in Fig. 2. On the collar 34 of the extension 22, there is provided three equally spaced notches 4|, the bottom of which is made iiush with the adjacent corre- In depth the notches 4I are made to receive only a small portion of the detents 40, thereby causing the side wallsof the notches to normally exert a camming action on the detents tending to move the detents outwardly relative to the collar 34.

Axially slidable on the sleeve 35, there is a ring or cam member 43 formed with a counterbore 44, the bottom of Whichis inwardly into the implement 25.

After the screw is initially set, it tends `to resist further rotation o f the driven member or sleeve 35, thereby resulting in the outward movement of the detents 4D eiected by the camming action of the side walls ,of the notches on the detents, which detents, by acting on the inclined wall 45 of the ring 43, will .cause slidable clined and is engageable with the detents 43 for the purposes hereinafter explained. The ring 43 is constantly urged inwardly or in operative engagement with the detents 40 by a compression spring et resting Ion a nut 41 which is screwed on the outer end portion of the sleeve 35 and is held thereon against accidental rotation of a cap screw 48 extending into a longitudinal groove 49 provided in the threaded end portion of the sleeve 35.

The sleeve 35 which is slidable and rotatable relative to the extension 22 is constantly urged in end engagement of its ange 31 with the front handles end wall 38 by a compression spring 563 interposed between the inner end of the socket member 23 and the shoulder 3| formed on the extension 22, while theinward I slidable movement of the sleeve on the extension 22 is limited by the engagement of its inner end with the annular shoulder 33.

Before applying the tool implement to the work, which is represented in the drawing by a cap screw 5l operatively engaging the threaded bore 52 of a plate 53, the spring 50- active between the shoulder 3| and the inner end of the socket member 23 will hold the sleeve 35 in its furthermost position within the front handle I9, that is, in end engagement of its annular ange 31 with the end wall 38 of the front handle i3, in which instance, the detents 4i) are longitudinally spaced from the notches 4| and made to engage the smooth cylindrical portion 42 of the extension 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 1,

.thereby enabling rotation of the spindle 2d and consequently ofthe extension 22 relative to the sleeve 35 and the socket member 23, and consequently enabling the tool implement 25 to remain stationary even though the trigger I2 is held in throttle valve open position resulting in the rotary motion of the extension 22. A

When it is desired to impart rotation to the tool implement, a slight axial pressure may be exerted on the handle li to cause compression of the spring 5B and the consequential movemovement of the ring 43 on the sleeve 35 against the efforts of the compression spring 36, in which instance, the spindle and extension 22 will be free to rotate relative to the sleeve 35 or tool implement 25. However, due tothe constant camming actionexerted by the ring 43 on the detents 4D, as soon as the notches lli are again positioned in radial alignment with the detents 40, the detents will again drop in the notches for again imparting rotation to the sleeve 35 and the tool implement 25. As long as the tool is pressed onthe work, this in and out motion ofthe detents 4@ relative to the notches 4| will continue, thus resulting in a ratchetlike sound indicating to the operator that the work is sufiiciently set for him to remove the tool implement from the work while still holding the trigger l2 in throttle valve open position.

As the portable tool is removed from the work, the spring 50 active between the shoulder 3| and the inner end of the socket member 23 will again drive the sleeve 35 forwardly, causing the detent 30 to move longitudinally out of alignment with the notches lil for preventing transmission of rotation between the extension 22 and the sleeve 35.

From the foregoing explanation, it will be understood that the automatic disengagement of the clutch or more speciiically the outward movement of the detents i0 relative to the notches 3| is primarily controlled by the spring t6, the compression of which can be varied by changing the position of the nut t1 on the sleeve 35 by simply removing the cap screw i8 and rotating the nut in one or the other direction until the screw again comes into alignment with the groove |59, and thereafter again setting the screw to have it project into the groove for preventing axial rotation of the nut lil. While the in and out engagement of the clutch will cause a slight oscillatory motion of the handle Il, that'motion can be readily resisted by the operator holding the handle it being understood that the radial engagement and disengagement of the clutch does not transmit longitudinal vibrations to the tool, which vibrations heretoforehave been found to fatigue the operator as well as making it dimcult for him to maintain the tool implement 25 in operative engagement with the work.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order to completely set forth the invention, it is to be understood that the specic terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining and it is to be further understood that various rearrangements of parts and `maturations of' strueturai detaiiiay be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim: 1. In a device of the character described, a pair vof coaxially disposed members one surrounding the other, rotation transmitting means between saidV members including a notch o n one oi' lsaid members and a detent on' the other member axially and radially movable into or out of operative engagement with said notch, spring means normally preventing axial movement of said notch into operative engagement with said d e- -tent but capable of deflection to enable said movement under certain conditions of operation,

and vmeans responsive to a predetermined re sistance to rotation of one of said members for movement'V in said one direction under-certain conditions of operation,

4. In a device of the character described, apair of coaxially disposed members one surrounding the other and capable of limited relative axial movement, rotation transmitting clutch means effectingsaid release, and means effecting said.v relative axial movement in said one direction.

effecting radial movement of said detent out of operative engagement with said notch.

' 2. In a device of the character described, apair of coaxially disposed members one surrounding the other and capable of limited relative axial movement, rotation transmitting means between saidmembers including a notch on one of said j members and a detent on the other 'axially and radially movable into or out of operative engagement with said notch, means including an axially movable cam element engaging said detent for normally preventing the radial movement of'said detent out of operative position, and means eifecting relative axial movement of said members in one direction under certain conditions of operation for causing the release of said rotation transmitting means irrespective of saidl cam: element.

3. In a device-of the-character described, a pair of coaxially disposed members one surrounding the other and capable of limited relative axial movement,rotation transmitting clutch means between said members capable of release upon a predetermined torque resistance of one of said members or upon the relative axial movement of preventing the release of said clutch means by virtue of the torque resistance of one of said said members in one direction. means normally between said members capable of release upon a predetermined torque resistance of one o! said members or upon the relative axial movement of said members in one direction, cam means normally effecting operative engagement of said clutch means but enabling the release thereof upon the predetermined torque resistance of said one member, adjustable means for varying the extent of said torque resistance necessary for under certain conditions of operation.

5. In a device vof the character described, a driving spindle,- a driven sleeve coaxially on said spindle, radially movable rotation transmitting clutch means between said spindleand sleeve capable of release vto enable relative rotation therebetween, a cam slidable onsaid sleeve'normally effecting operative engagement of said .clutch means but enabling the release thereof upon a predetermined torque resistance 'of said sleeve, and adjustable means onsaid sleeve opera4 tively associated with said cam lifor varying the extent of said torque resistance j necessary for` effectingy said release.

6. In a device `of the character described. a pair of coaxially disposed members capable of limited relative axial'movement, rotation transmitting clutch means between said members capable of releaseupon a predetermined torque resistance of one of said members or upon the relative axial movement of saidmembterin one direction,means."

normally preventing e release of said clutch means by virtue of the torque resistancevofone .of said members, and means eifecting said relative axial movement in* said one direction under certain conditions of operation.

' PAUL VAN SITI'ERT.

members, and meanseffecting said relativev axial.l 

